Ryan Cayabyab is new Headmaster for Pinoy Dream Academy 2

Monday, November 26, 2007

A peerless triumvirate of academicians, artists and performers signed up with ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation Thursday afternoon to oversee the education of lucky entrants to Season 2 of Pinoy Dream Academy.

As fans already know, Pinoy Dream Academy is not your ordinary talent search: it is a reality TV show that is also a venue for molding would-be artists and performers, to instill in them the values of excellence, discipline, dedication, creativity and professionalism.

This season, none other than the Maestro himself, academician, composer and performer Ryan Cayabyab, will be the Headmaster, replacing Apo Hiking Society veteran Jim Paredes.

Cayabyab, affectionately called "Mr. C" by those in the industry, will be joined by Voice Master Kitchy Molina and Performance Master Jose Javier Reyes.

Cayabyab, Molina and Reyes have one thing in common that makes the "PDA" an
institution to reckon with—they have academic backgrounds and teaching experience in the country's top universities and they promise to bring the same exacting standards to the PDA.

According to Cayabyab, he and the other two Masters have decided to fine tune and improve the PDA curriculum in order to make sure that it serves its purpose of finding the next musical idols of the land, deserving of respect and longevity in the industry.

Cayabyab said that the work of rewriting and revising the curriculum was necessary after the many hard-learned lessons by the PDA Masters and staff during the first season.

"Nag-uumpisa lang kasi no'n at marami pang mga dapat i-improve. Sabog pa no’n. (It was only the first season and there were still many areas in need of improvement. There was a lack of focus,) Mr. C told.

Voice Master Kitchy Molina said that next year's Pinoy Grand Dreamer will have to go beyond what the first PDA grand dreamer, Yeng Constantino, accomplished.

"We need to produce a new kind of artist that is a cut above the rest," Molina emphasized.

For respected filmmaker and Performance Master Joey Reyes, the PDA students' musical abilities must go hand in hand with their artistry as performers.

"Rendering music and performing are related to each other. They are inseparable. They are the body and soul of a musical artist," Reyes explained.

According to PDA director Laurente Dyogi, hundreds of thousands have already auditioned, taken exams of various types, waited patiently and impatiently for the results, before they were allowed to enroll.

"We need to foster a rigid but realistic approach to passing a wannabe," said Dyogi.

Dyogi also explained that PDA's previous Headmaster Jim Paredes resigned from his post to concentrate on his family in Australia and other musical activities of the
Apo Hiking Society with Danny Javier and Buboy Garovillo.

"Noon naman talaga, nakiusap lang ako kay Jim kung puwede siyang mag-Headmaster kahit kama-migrate lang nila sa Australia. But now, he has to really focus on his family. Besides, marami in silang ginagawa ng Apo," Dyogi explained.